Elevator for liquids for feeding fuel to automobile engines



Dec. 1, 1936. U HAR 2,062,709

ELEVATOR FOR LIQUIDS FOR FEEDING FUEL TO AUTOMOBILE ENGINES Filed July l6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'FIG. 1

75 engine ortke a1? pump suction B Louis u cl a d 6? 7? WM 4 .1. 3

L. GUICHARD Dec. 1, 1936.

ELEVATOR FOR LIQUIDS FOR FEEDING FUEL TO AUTOMOBILE ENGINES '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1954 FIG. 2

FIG. 5

FIG.7

Hews

d M m fw mum l J f5 7 wa r 3 w 3% Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES ELEVATOR FOR LIQUIDS FOR FEEDING FUEL TO AUTOMOBILE ENGINES Louis Guichard, Paris, France Application July 16,

1934, Serial No. 735,531

In France August 4, 1933 4 Claims.

The object of the invention is an elevator for liquids, or liquid pump, intended more particularly for the ,fuel feed of automobile engines. The apparatus which forms the subject matter of the invention is essentially characterized by the combination of three units:

1. An air pump for. creating the airpressure or vacuum necessary for the functioning of the elevator, said pump being provided with a double acting membrane capable of exerting a suction and a pressure by both of its surfaces so as to procure practically constant-pressure ,and vacuum free from synchronization with the operation of the engine;

2. A slide valve attached'to a cylindrical part or bell capable of moving freely and with clearance within the chamberin which the suction and the pressure of the liquid occur, .said. bell resting on .a spring which assists its rising when suction occurs and exerts a braking action on its dropping movement when subjected to pressure, so thatthe suctionmof the-fuel may predominate under the bell while, .on the contrary, the pressure upon theliquid shall be more rapid outside the bell;

3. A specialinstantaneous priming device for the elevator,- said device being constituted by a by-pass positioned on the fuel inlet piping and.

provided with a chamber containing a float which cuts 01f communication between the'fuel inlet piping and the engine suction piping when the fuel level has reached a determined height.

Another object of the invention is a. peculiar form of embodiment of the air pump, the membrane of which is constituted by a disk made of paper or of any other similar substance possessing a fibrous texture, said disk being secured along its edge between the two portions of the pump barrel and with the operating rod fixed .to its center.

In order to permit of fiexions of great ampli- 'tude, in the central portion of the-membrane, the construction is preferably such that this is obtained eitherby cutting out acircle in the center of the membrane or by making suitably positioned and distributed cuts in said membrane (radial cuts for instance), or by perforating it by any other means whatsoever.

In the attached drawings several-forms of embodiment of the invention have been shown as examples Figure l is a diagram of the liquid elevator which forms the subject matter of the invention. On the right of this figure an air pump, provided with a double acting jrlfllllbrane, has

been shown and, in the middle portion of this figure, the liquid distributor has been shown; finally, on the left of said figure, the priming device is illustrated. a

Figures 2 and 3 respectively show, independently of one another, the membrane pump and the distribution device.

Figures 4 and .5 respectively show two forms of embodiment ofa membrane as applied .to the air pump. In the first form of embodiment the membrane is provided, at its center, with ,a comparatively large diameter opening while in the second form radial slits are provided in the membrane.

Figures 6 and -'7 show the method of securing the central portion of the aforementioned membrane between two cheeks or disks.

As shown in Figures 1, ,2, and 3, the liquid elevator which formsthe subject matter of the in vention comprises an air pump, membrane 35. of which is actuated with a to and fro movement by cam 4| or :by any other suitable mechanical device. f Thispump is provided with suction and delivery valves and can therefore deliver air under pressure or under partial vacuum through pipes 8 and'9. Said pipes 8 and 9open out into a cylinder l6 within which a slide valve I6, inte-. gral with a rod l3 provided with a check I5, is capable of movement, the movements of said rod I3 being controlled by bell 42. Slide valve I6 is provided with a throat which makes it possible to put chamber 'l'l in communication alternately, through a duct I8, either with the suction piping 8 or delivery piping 9.

- The lower portion of chamber H is provided with a liquid distribution chamber I9 provided with a suction valve and a delivery valve 22.

The elevator functions as follows:

Let us assume that chamber ll contains a certain quantity of liquid underneath bell 42 positioned in its highest'location. At this moment, owing to throat I1, slide valve 16' allows the air forced by membrane 35 to enter into the chamber and to deliver the liquid. (only during the delivery periods) through valve 22. The bell drops at the same time as the liquid. It comes into contact with check I5 and this draws the slide valve to its lower location as shown in Figure 1. At this moment ,the inside of chamber l l is placed in communication with the membrane pump, during the suction periods only. The liquid drawn by suction enters through valve 20; bell 42 is raised at the same time owing to the suction and returns'slide valve I6 to its original location when the same cycle recom mences. When the float or bell 42 arises the bottom of the central compartment provided in said float strikes at a predetermined moment against the lower extremity of the rod l3 thereby moving said rod upwardly in such manner that the valve I6 will be raised upwardly in the cylinder I6 and will be positioned immediately below the tubular portion 24.

Before describing the priming device which constitutes one of the essential features of the invention it seems desirable to describe, in greater detail, the two essential units of the elevator, that is to say the membrane pump and the distribution system shown respectively in Figures 2 and 3.

The membrane pump shown in Figure 2, which is a double acting pump causing suction and delivery, is divided by said membrane into two chambers or half-housings 3| and 34. Halfhousing 3| comprises a suction'valve 32 and a delivery valve 33. The other half housing 34 also comprises a suction valve 32 and a delivery valve 33. Membrane 35 inserted between these two half housings is reinforced by two disks 36 and 31; it is made solid, at its center, with a rod 38 which slides in a guide 39 provided in halfhousing 3!. A spring 40 acts on the opposite face of membrane 35. As previously stated, the alternating motion of membrane 35 is set up by a rotating cam 4| against which rod 38 bears constantly under the action of spring 40.

The suction and delivery of the membrane are utilized by slide valve 16' (Figure 3) which causes chamber I l to be placed in communication with the air under pressure or under partial vacuum produced by the membrane pump. The displacements of slide valve l6 are controlled by bell 42, between the bottom of which and the bottom of chamber II a spring is interposed; said spring 45 plays a very important part which is as follows:

During the suction period a small quantity of fuel might rise through the passage which exists between bell 42 and the walls of chamber II. This introduction of liquid might, in time, become such that the whole' chamber would become filled with liquid and this would cause serious disturbances in the operation of the apparatus. Now, when suction occurs, spring 45 adds its action to that of the partial vacuum which exists above the bell so that the column of liquid positioned below the bell is subjected to more suction than the ring of liquid positioned between said bell and the wall of chamber II.

On the other hand, when delivery occurs, the spring tends to counter-balance the action of pressure on the bell and the result is that the ring of liquid positioned between said bell and the walls of chamber l l is forced more rapidly than the mass of liquid maintained under the bell.

It is therefore impossible for the liquid to flood the chamber and experience has shown this to be a fact.

It should be noted that, owing to the fact that the organ actuating the slide valve is bell shaped, greater power is available than in the existing float operated devices for the actuation of the slide valve.

In the improved elevator the various organs tended to supply the air under pressure or under partial vacuum, in order to avoid rapid evaporation of the fuel contained in the elevating apparatus, which evaporation would be likely to cause disturbances in the operation of the engme.

On the left hand side of Figure 1 the priming device, which is another essential feature of the invention, has been shown also. According to the invention this device is constituted by a chamber 46 fed by a connection 41 which is a by-pass on piping 2| supplying the fuel to chamber H.

A float 48 provided with a needle valve 49 is free to move within chamber 46, and when said float has reached a certain height said needle valve 49 can seal orifice 50 of piping 5|. Said piping 5| may open out into the suction manifold of the engine and, under normal conditions, is separated from chamber 46 by a ball check valve 52 which, when the engine is idle, prevents atmospheric pressure from penetrating inside the system as the result of this would be to cause loss of priming.

The device intended to re-establish priming which has just been described is advantageous because it is outside the elevating apparatus itself. It can therefore be applied to varied types of liquid pumps. On the other hand if the engine suction is not employed to obtain the rapid priming desired, piping 5| might be connected up to the suction piping of the air pump and a similar result would be obtained.

The combination of the elevating apparatus with the device which has just been described 1 makes it possible, by the use of the engine suction, to obtain the absorption of the gassy fluid detrimental to the proper operation of the elevator thus ensuring extremely rapid original priming or priming anew.

It may be advantageous to connect up at the same time the air pump suction piping to piping 5| and the engine suction to piping 24 which connects up slide valve I6 with the surrounding atmosphere. In this case the two sources of partial vacuum available form a happy combination for the obtaining of eificient re-priming and absorption of vapor. In the device which forms the subject matter of the invention the gases which would be detrimental to proper operation, instead of being exhausted into the surrounding atmosphere and wasted, are sent to the engine hence procuring an economy in gasolene.

Finally one object of the invention is the application, for the pump membrane illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of an improved membrane made of paper or of any other similar product, flbrous in texture, and in particular of one of the sorts of specially treated papers known in current practise under the denomination of parchment paper. untearable paper, sulphurized paper, etc.

It has been found that a membrane made of one of the aforementioned products, even when of small thickness, offers remarkable qualities from the point of view of mechanical resistance which enable it to withstand, without tearing, a

considerable number of flexions along the same folds and also from the point of its imperviousness to numerous fluids and, in particular to petroleum, gasolene, etc. Experience proves that in a pump such as that indicated hereinabove, a membrane of this kind gives distinctly better results than those obtained, under identical conditions, with any one of the types of membranes at present in use.

In the simplest form of embodiment, which is that illustrated in Figure 4, membrane 53 is provided withan aperture 53', the diameter of which is comparatively large. On the contrary, in the form of embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, radial slits 54 have been made. Opening 53' shown in Figure 4 may be replaced by any other equivalent arrangement, for instance by a series of holes of small diameter positioned according to a circumference concentric with the membrane. The result of the application of this method is to permit of flexions of the membrane of greater amplitude and also to provide it in course of manufacture and previous to mounting with the necessary deformation. In all cases it is necessary, in order to obtain imperviousness with a membrane of this sort in its center portion, to secure said central portion between two plates or disks of sufliciently large diameter made of metal or any other suitable substance. An arrangement of this sort is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. As will be seen in these figures, the center portion of the membrane is caught and securely tightened between two plates or disks 55 and 56 in the center of which the actuating rod, which is not shown, is attached.

The periphery of the membrane may be secured in the usual manner between the two portions 58 and 59 of the housing or barrel of the pump. As illustrated in Figure 7, the necessary deformation of the membrane, which is given a cup-like shape, is obtained prior to mounting or in the course of mounting.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for feeding liquid to an engine comprising means for creating an alternate partial vacuum and pressure, means for feeding liquid responsive to said first named means and a priming device for said feeding means controlled by the suction of said engine.

2. A mechanism for feeding liquid comprising means for creating an alternate partial vacuum and pressure, means for feeding liquid responsive to said first named means and a priming device for said feeding means controlled from said first mentioned means.

3. A mechanism for feeding liquid comprising means for causing fluid pressure pulsations, a chamber, valve means governing the entry of said pulsations to said chamber, a float controlled by said pulsations in said chamber controlling said valves and a second controlled priming chamber maintaining a supply of liquid within said chamber.

4. A mechanism for feeding liquid comprising a liquid feed chamber, a spring supported float located in said chamber, means for subjecting" said chamber to alternate pulsations of pressure and partial vacuum for actuating said float, a

slide valve controlling said pulsations controlled by said float and an auxiliary float controlled liquid supply chamber having communication LOUIS GUICHARD. 

